by Sue Staropoli

In May 2012, I was invited to attend a program whose purpose was “to help create an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, socially just human presence on this planet.” Reading those words, I remember thinking: “This is the world I want to leave to my children and grandchildren!”

25 years ago the Achuar, an indigenous tribe living deep in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest, put out a request for partners in the industrialized world who would work with them to protect their ancient home and culture. This was the birth of the Pachamama Alliance and the origin of what eventually became the “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” Symposium...(read the full post here)

Native American Heritage Month 
Deepen your understanding of Native Peoples of Western New York 

• The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (the Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen) is the central prayer and invocation for the Haudenosaunee (also known as the Iroquois Confederacy).
   
• This video, filmed on location at the Onondaga Nation School in Onondaga Nation, focuses on the purpose and uses of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Representatives from the Onondaga Nation talk about the history of the Address and how the Address changes depending on who is saying it.
   
• Ganondagan Seneca Art and Culture Center fulfills a vision of a permanent, year-round interpretive facility at Ganondagan telling the story of the Seneca and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) contributions to art, culture and society for more than 2,000 years to the present day.  
   
• Haudenosaunee artists residing throughout the United States and Canada have come out in record numbers to participate in Ganondagan’s fourth annual Juried Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show to take place virtually on Friday, November 6 through December 31, 2020. This year, works by 43 artists were accepted in the competitive show, representing all six Haudenosaunee Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora.
   
• The 226th Anniversary of Historic Federal Canandaigua Treaty will be celebrated on November 11, 2020 at 2:00 PM and shared virtually on Ganondagan State Historic Site/Facebook Live

• Saturdays, 12:00-1:00 PM: Black Lives Matter: A Peaceful, Silent, Witness
• 11/3: Election Day
• 11/5: 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM (ET) Pachamama Alliance presents: A Post Election Vision of Possibilty Listening Circle 
• 11/8: Seeds of Hope post-election discussion
• 11/11: Virtual Celebration of Federal Canandaigua Treaty of 1794
• 11/19: Pachamama International - Global Community Gathering

These times are challenging our ability to hold onto hope. And the chaotic election process will soon be coming to a head with a possible political coup. Our November Seeds of Hope will be on November 8 instead of November 1 so we can come together to catch our breath, connect with other caring people, gain a (r)evolutionary perspective on all the crises we’re facing, and discern our next steps to being the change.

On November 8, we will use brief presentations, a meditation exercise, a short inspiring video, and personal sharing in small groups to help us meet these times with insight that can see what is driving our crises. We will offer ways for our hearts to open to its pathos, with vision that can see what is possible, and with passion to co-create a world that works for everyone. 

Register here for this free Zoom event.